BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Women's Hockey team continues Western Collegiate Hockey Association play this weekend and travels to No. 2 University of Minnesota for a two-game, league series in Minneapolis.
 
The Beavers (3-6-1, 1-6-1 WCHA) and Golden Gophers (10-2-0, 6-2-0 WCHA) begin their series Friday, Nov. 14 and will play in 3M Arena at Mariucci as the Gophers host Field Trip day. The teams then return to Ridder Arena Saturday will they will play their series finale.
 
Each game will be streamed exclusively online at Big Ten Plus with Minnesota Athletics providing play-by-play. A Beaver Radio Network broadcast will also be available online at www.beaverradionetwork.com or on the radio dial at FM 94.3.
 
Bemidji State Notes

• Bemidji State his the road for third road trip of the season.
• The Beavers are coming off a series split with No. 14 University of St. Thomas at Sanford Center.
• Following a 5-0 loss to the Tommies is game one, the Beavers responded to upset the Tommies 2-1 Saturday afternoon to earn their first win in conference play.
• The Beavers also upset a ranked opponent for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
• Despite a 28-15 shot advantage for the Tommies in the game, the Beavers battled to earn the victory and stop a five-game winless streak.
• Sophomore Kaitlin Groess was tremendous between the pipes stopping 27-of-28 shots by the Tommies and was named the WCHA Goaltender of the Week.
• Groess earned the award for the first time this since, a first for the team as well, and is the second time in her career she was recognized by the WCHA.
• Sophomore Izy Fairchild scored the Beavers' first goal in the game, a short-handed marker, which was also her first goal of the season.
• Junior Shelby Sandberg scored the game-winning goal early in the third period for her first goal of the season as well.
• Sophomore Morgan Smith earned an assist in the game increasing her season point total to seven (2g-5a) leading the team.
• Junior Hailey Armstrong continues to pace the Beavers with six goals on the season.
• She is tied with junior Kate Johnson for second on the team with six points.
• Johnson is tied with Smith for the team lead with five assists.
• Bemidji State has split time in net between Groess and senior Ava Hills.
• Groess paces the team with six starts and is 3-3-0 on the season while Hills leads BSU and is third in the conference with a .933 save percentage.
• Izy Fairchild scored the first short-handed goal since last season's season opener and is just the second short-handed goal in the WCHA this year.
• The Beavers are in year two under the leadership of head coach Amber Fryklund.
• Fryklund returns 16 skaters from last season including all four of her leading scorers.
• She also returns 80-percent of goals scored last season (45-of-56) and her top six goal scorers.
• However, she lost three of her top point-getters from the blueline from the 2024-25 season.
• Fryklund returns both netminders in Kaitlin Groess and Eva Filippova who played serious minutes between the pipes.
• She has brought in 11 newcomers to the green and white including transfers Carmen Bray (St. Cloud State) and Elly Klepinger (Minnesota).
• Morgan Smith highlights the Beavers' returners after leading the team in points (20) and goals (11) during her freshman season.
• Junior Hailey Armstrong will captain the Beavers during the 2025-26 season and will be assisted by Smith and senior Raeley Carney.
• Armstrong leads all returners having scored 19 goals over her career and recording 28 points.
• She is followed by Smith with 20 points and junior Kate Johnson with 17 (5g-12a).
• Eight freshmen make their green and white debut this season in Senja Leeper (Minnetonka HS), Lola Macuiba (Shawnigan Lake School), Kasey Senden (Hill-Murray HS), Addie Morris (Benilde-St. Margaret's), Paige Smith (Edmonton Jr. Oilers), Maddie Kaiser (Balmoral Hall Prep), Katy Comstock (Warroad HS) and Ashlyn Hazlett (Minnetonka HS).

For more information on the Bemidji State women's hockey program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X or Instagram, or like them on Facebook.
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and women's hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
 
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